Alt Legal IP News – Issue #7
Hannah Samendinger | October 04, 2016
We are hosting a webinar with John Lee, a Canadian IP attorney, and Clio on this Wednesday at 1pm EST. John will be discussing Canadian trademark law, strategies for US trademark filers, and how he uses technology in his practice. You can find more information, including the how to attend, here.
Drink Up!
– Craft beer is everywhere. Particularly in Canada and the US, the number of craft breweries has exploded. And with each brewery a new set of potential trademarks is born. And obtaining a registration can be quite a fight.
– But why are beverage industry lawsuits on the rise in the first place?
– Of course, beverage makers often seek patent protection as well. Coca-Cola has a particularly impressive portfolio.
– Ever had a Painkiller? That’s just one cocktail that has a trademark. The owner of the mark, Pusser’s Rum, have sued over the use of the cocktail name but the lawsuit had some unintended consequences.
What did you just say?!
– As you’ve probably already heard, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the Slants case. The Supreme Court also rejected the Redskins’ petition to join the case. But the Slants case will likely have serious implications for the Redskins.
– The American Bar Association created a comprehensive review of what makes a mark scandalous under Section 2(a).
– The U.S. isn’t the only country that refuses trademarks because they are scandalous, immoral or disparaging. For example, Canada and Australia do too.
Take Me Out to the Movies
– A California man was sentenced for felony criminal copyright infringement after pirating the Revenant and distributing it online a few days before it hit theaters. How much does he have to pay in restitution? $1.12 million.
– The rights holders of the Robocop franchise have sued Robocopp personal security firm for infringement.
– If you open the app store, you’ll encounter more than one popcorn popping app. What a time to be alive! Those apps also got involved in a copyright dispute.
Odds and Ends
– Our CEO, Nehal Madhani, will be presenting on emerging technologies in Albany on October 14th. The presentation, hosted by the New York State Bar, is a CLE course. It is also available via webcast. Find more details here.
– Google wants to get under your skin… literally.
– The USPTO has proposed changed to the patent fee schedule beginning in 2017. See the proposed changes here.
– Lee Cheng, who recently fought the patent trolls and won, thinks “patents are bulls**t.” Watch his candid interview about his fight against the trolls here.
– In Philly on October 27-28? Our friends at Above the Law have given us a discount code to their conference on building a boutique practice. You can get $100 off tickets with the code “ALTLEGAL100.”